Opinion: How Florida Stole Christmas

Larry Sabato on how Florida's decision to move up its primary will affect the primary calendar. Plus, a preview of tonight's debate.

This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.

... Republicans are debating tonight in New Hampshire courses is leading up to the nation's ... first primary every year every four years in New Hampshire but ... what exactly is the primary going to a place of ... we are we still don't know because of our word for the state of Florida has been doing with the primary schedule are here to tells about is Larry seven so he's the editor of the crystal ball to his letter Mr Soto thanks for joining us ... thanks ... so I'm Florida recently decided the January thirty one was the day for their primary up they wanna get earlier in the schedule against them more of an impact on the outcome here but the ... this is the big threat of a cascading effect on the rest of the GOP schedule ... yes yes ... actually put together ... early rational ... sensible play in the best that we've seen in decades ... they go back Starkey which was January thirty ... one two thousand ate the earliest in human history ... they pushed it back to February this ... getting the candidates that donors everybody worked hard to organize ... so-called giving people a holiday break ... from politics pervaded EPS ... of forty nine of the fifty states ... basically what along with the plane ... I'll what story that restrict than a ... week later ... to do it your criteria then the Nevada ... caucuses that the South Carolina criteria ... but that was just two quarterly report out they decided they wanted more influence they were determined to ... get into the first grouping states so they unilaterally to clear their criteria to be ... J in re thirty first ... this is down to everybody on an incredibly ... we're right back to January or ... in Ohio which guarantees that the candidates will be stampeding on Christmas and New years ... the volunteers their tens of thousands of them ... will get no holiday ... and everybody except perhaps for Christmas day will be seeing negative TV ads ... critically the yearly states ... so of Florida's are ruining our Christmas with all those of negative advertising ... also that the question of New Hampshire in the ... are you expecting them to say OK we'll go in ... in early January or or sometime in December ... well I have ... my guess is they probably kill after the war ... and it's too late to sell between Thailand data somewhere around ... the ... Chapter eleven or twelve or software that generates the cheque for it ... they like to have states that we ... I went to ensure it also that we know it you're in the next ... next Friday or caucus ... that's what their stay was that although ... it's been observed in the region the past including two thousandeight ... you know they've been ... several ... understand the deer didn't mind the importance ... of the prior year ... not only will the candidates and others not spend much money they will have ... enough time to do so ... but probably the holidays ... are on whatever ruled that is generated from the do it your results so they become what ... word ... they'd know their role that they are ... we've been talking about the process here and in ... its bizarre bird someone who who is of looking at this knowing that the will we do this once every four years and it's a ... fairly serious business picking a president that these issues haven't been sorted out ... before now but the ... budget but anyway this sort of chaotic schedule is what is how does it affect the outcome I mean up in terms of of a compact unscheduled visit is it basically just an advantage for the front ... door or difficult to say ... I should get worse surely it's protected because the stakes are I would ... say though that ... the current valuation oppose candidates ... is that this helps to Robbie who is the frontrunner ... for Jake Lee and ... Clark Governor Perry ... it's no accident that Torabi people were very much in all ... IQ for the stage at least that will ... let the lead in the search took a direct role in that ... what ... they've been trying to ... to Bixby early criteria early in January ... they are all getting less ... for some of the ... candidates who were currently trailing ... to move up or baby Governor Perry ... to go back to get ... back to the stock fifty billion dollars ... deal ... David B were all ... but the evacuation ... of the key is ... this helps them ... well and we've seen today Chris Christie of New Jersey governor and decided not to get into the race now endorsing the Rani were going to talk a little bit more later about that that decision but ... but ... it certainly would seem to me and I don't know why Chris Christie did not giving him exactly but it would seem to me that when the schedule ... got compacted that was another reason in the ... in the don't run column for him was a mess ... the stash pm ... the yet ... to be candidates to consider working and whether ... you're a live ... bait even years ... Dave realize that they slightly ... last Update at play and on ... to raise money to put together an ... organization ... to put together with soldiers that the key states ... he gets what it what ... someone else who's been just now I think starting to build an organization Herman Cain new sky rocketed up ... in the GOP polls ... on ... the ... Missouri had basically to this point a skeleton staff I would guess he's now raising more money with its heightened profile but ... the schedule for him is that is particularly interesting because you've noted on your website that to ... neither party has nominated a non politician ... since I'm a big Eisenhower in the fifty so he's got a sort of a historical hill to climb and then that ... the ad that they had a real organizational challenge here I would think ... the the the the peaks ... they get ice ever was ... three now like if it were to get the window ... for the businessman to ... storm the Republican convention in ... and won the nomination only to lose rather badly Franklin Roosevelt the only emigrated ... Roosevelt was going for to press the third term ... the press that capability is only one example ... I'd I suppose though I'm on the other of would-be added another way with Herman Cain one thing you do wonder about it since he hasn't been a politician is ... cozy gone through the normal vetting and are there things of that people may learn about him up ... in the succeeding months after lets a January February I'm I'm saying the word ... suppose his rise continues in the wins a bunch of other big ... primaries and caucuses are probably ... a business advantage for him possibly the events of ... it's a tight schedule ... the Sydney leaks were made between now and gently stir the Iowa caucuses ... I think you can ... get it ... ready to die ... East ... he is moved up so quickly gets sold in the state holds an Opel's ... is now considered a threat one reason these credits because ... he has received this or the other candidates have ... to change that I ... the other candidates can afford to ignore a bidding war or simply ... not get direction to talk about what a great guy ... in the media will also give you were to ... well it means he's now I can be standing in the center next to Mitt Romney reflecting his elevated status in the polls ... as you said we can expect more attacks that this also mean that Rick Perry ... is mainly Guinea get a little bit of a breather and the ability to play off of its work not everyone is shooting at him and maybe he gets to set the agenda little more ... the ... two-year period to be ... her status for the ... second baby steps ... on the debate stage but yes I think it's really boring and all that contributes to a better than average performance by Gary ... though that is able to debate the ... Arab League ... in the last two ... but they ... did this gets better rested ... he's going to prove too is that he can ... be energetic or an entire debate he stated the couple say here's the last ... you'll see a better read here each night ... but the question is how much better ... in Asia too late ... our overall contenders they are watching on this page or do think there ... you think it's brought me and maybe a couple others who were highest in the polls ... clearly ... the ... period a year in a separate category but ... you certainly have to watch somebody like Rick Santorum who may be the one to launch the attacks on our ... date night ... using get a tax pro RIA ... and his target ... I think StanChart may be overdue for at least a bomb ... killed all the candidates ... do well for a while they've gone up or at least a bit ... of the show was the worst ... temporarily became the goal front runner ... as fresh taggers to see that happen to carry ... the same height as the hurricane ... looking to up ... to Rick Santorum he could never will ... be reached ... stories of several notches and getting up Italy got ten points at least temporarily ... I don't think that will last is Gates's ... no I was the course are all vying for the right to take on Barack Obama next year ... he has not been doing well and Holstein seems to be trying to do private Harry Truman to ... run against a do nothing Congress campaign ... view that another interesting piece on your website today saying have ... you know you people forget about the Truman campaign you also the economy growing at six point eight percent that ... in the first app about nineteen forty eight so ... the the you ... IHG for half ... the growth rate ... the third quarter next year believe me ... it's likely to be worse than she reeled off GDP ... particularly in the third quarter the election year ... to do well assuming there are independent third party candidates that are trading boats disproportionately from the Republicans ... that's the other factor out looking ... are there going to be third party independent candidates coming into this because the tremendous satisfaction ... and happiness of the American public ... train services were wary of throughout the concern is that they're bigger than ... the outlook for two banks agree to it thanks for praying that we have been talking about the GOP debate tonight in New Hampshire but the